Branson may be known as the “Live Music Show Capital of America,” but the Missouri vacation destination is so much more than that! Attractions in the area have really flourished and are great for families.
A friend of mine asked if I had taken the children to the Titanic Museum Attraction. She was surprised when I told her that I had not been before. She explained what a great experience it is for children and parents and what a great educational opportunity it is. She homeschools her children and has used the attraction during several of her history and social studies lessons combined with fieldtrips.
Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson
After our conversation, I logged on to their website and was blown away. They offer lesson plans, scavenger hunts and general information not only about Titanic, but also the era. I also saw online that they have some interactive exhibits that children can touch and feel. This is key for young children—it helps them better grasp what they are learning.
I showed my older children the website to help prepare them for going to the Titanic Museum Attraction. Obviously, death is a part of Titanic’s story, and that is not something that they really grasp at their ages. We focused on the neat facts about the era, how big the boat was, what it was like, why it sank, and of course… the dogs of Titanic! My children were ridiculously excited about the fact that there were animals on board.
After pouring over the website, my daughter made a list of what they wanted to see: iceberg, puppies (Molly and Carter), shop (in the giftshop), and rooms (the cabins people slept in),. And yes, our son is wearing a Muscle Man costume—he wears it almost every day. 
Holding up the list... they couldn't wait to go inside!
One great thing about Titanic is that it isn’t a museum in a regular looking building; the main part of the building is a ½ scale replica of the front of Titanic. Upon entering, the ridiculously friendly staff will give each member of the party a boarding pass with information about an actual person that was on the Titanic. They do their best to match the boarding pass to the person in your party. They gave our baby the boarding pass of an infant who was on the Titanic.
The crew was amazing… very professional, kind and informative. They engaged the children and pointed out interesting things that would appeal to them. The first interactive exhibit is a real iceberg that you are encouraged to touch. The children couldn’t believe that they were really allowed to touch it. They were so excited to feel an iceberg!
Throughout the museum are “test your knowledge” questions that have multiple-choice answers. We had a great time reading each question, each of us picking an answer, and then checking to see who got it right. They were a little disappointed when they realized we took too long at the beginning of the museum and missed the dogs, but they were happy when they heard them playing in their kennel.
Their favorite part began at the Grand Staircase. They were wowed at its size and couldn’t understand how that could be on a boat. The second floor had some really great things for children! Their favorite parts were the wheelhouse where they could see how the boat was steered and controlled, the cold starry-night room where you can feel what it was like the night Titanic sank, a theatre room where you can watch a short film about Titanic, and then a huge area with several interactive displays.
Titanic's Bridge and Wheel
They best part about it all was how educational it was. Every room is very different and there are different elements to each room. It really blends the needs for entertaining children with the needs for entertaining adults. We weren’t able to stop and read every bit of information there was, but we were able to see quite a bit. They really learned a lot and couldn’t wait to see their grandparents to tell them about Titanic.
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The Scoop
Cost: There are family passes available for $53.87
Time: As with most things, it depends on the ages and moods of your children. You could easily spend four hours there, but we were there for two.
Food: Eat before you go. There are some great restaurants nearby.
Stroller: There is room for strollers and an elevator, but we opted to carry the baby in a back carrier.
Suggestions: If you come during the Christmas season, I would recommend driving through the Branson Area Festival of Lights after the museum.
We took our two homeschoolers 8 and 9 there last Christmas. My brother in law even went and all 5 of us had a great time. The give you cards at the begining of who you are crew, passengers whatever and at the end you find out whether you lived or not. We all lived and the funny thing was my son was the father of my daugher who all lived but since the father abandoned the daugher and her mother he later killed himself in the depression after he lost all his money. I mean it wasn’t funny just funny related to each other. Kids loved it all told all their friends here to go see it. We loved all the interaction and sets you could actually touch, see and feel stuff. So cool! Worth the money.
Celeste, thank you for taking the time to visit our Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo. I am so happy to hear that your children enjoyed it! I love the story and picture of your daughter writing her list of “Must See” items. That is so cute! I will share with the Crew your kind words about how much you enjoyed them as well.